1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an object distributing and supplying method and apparatus, particularly a method and an apparatus for distributing and conveying such ball-like objects as fruits and vegetables, which have been supplied in a large quantity and in such a random manner as including irregular spacings from each other in the transverse direction and are easy to roll, soft and susceptible to damage, from various types of conveyors to a plurality of lines, and conveying elements.
2. Description of the Related Art:
To rearrange objects supplied from the preceding process line in many rows of objects, for example, in fruit and vegetable sorting facilities, feed mechanisms have been used which comprise a divergent roller conveyor having a large width corresponding to that of the line of many sorting conveyors so as to distribute and supply the objects in uniform rows onto the sorting conveyors equally spaced between them and installed in parallel with each other (for example, as described in the Japenese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 56-47147).
However, the conventional feed mechanisms present the disadvantages that although they are designated on the assumption that objects will roll in the desired direction by the aid of their rotations in the course of their travel from the upstream line (the preceding process line) to the downstream apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as "connection conveyors"), the objects may not be uniformly distributed onto three or more connection conveyors due to their different forms and sizes which do not cause the objects to roll properly in the desired direction, but in random directions, and that much more objects may be distributed (conveyed) onto the connection conveyors in the central part of the conveying line than those on the right and left sides of the line.
These feed mechanisms present also the disadvantages that the rows of objects supplied from the preceding process line may be out of alignment, and that according to the feed direction, for example, by supplying objects from the side of each conveyor, the leftmost or rightmost connection conveyor may be overflowing with objects, while the other connection conveyors are short of objects, that is, many connection conveyors may be divided in densely-loaded conveyors and scarcely-loaded conveyors.
In short, they present the demerit that the densely loaded sorting conveyors cannot sort objects, while the scarcely loaded conveyors can sort objects, but result in a reduced quantity of processed (or sorted) objects and thus in a deteriorated performance of the conveyors.
On the other hand, other techniques are publicly known which can divide (or rearrange) objects forcedly in rows by using scrapers or guide rails on conveying apparatuses such as top plate chain conveyors. However, these techniques have not be used, practically, because agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables have soft skins subject to damage, scratching or crushing.
In these circumstances, a method and an apparatus for distributing and supplying objects have been desired which can distribute objects continuously from the preceding process line to the specified downstream positions through a conveying path which is continuously diverged in a plurality of conveying branches connected to the downstream positions.
Conventionally, top plate chain conveyors using flat plates or top plates as conveying elements have been used to carry objects such as bottles and cans.
However, the conventional top plate chain conveyors, which comprise a flat plate of metal or resin, and guide rails at both sides of the conveying path on which the top plate runs, are suitable to convey the regularly-formed objects such as glass bottles and metallic cans which have flat bottoms and constant sizes as well as relatively hard surfaces not subject to damage in contact with the side guide rails, while they are not practically applicable to convey the objects such as ball like fruits and vegetables which are soft in surface, liable to roll out and different in size, because these objects are unstable on the conveying elements, apt to be rolled and damaged during transportation, and subject to damage in contact with the side rails.
In addition, the top plate chain conveyors cannot be supported on their return sides where the chain conveyors are turned over with the top surfaces of the top plates sliding over the return rails.
As the results, the top plate chain conveyors present the demerit that the top surface of the conveying elements may be stained with dust and oil on the return rails.